Services

Psychiatric Services

Although our medical specialty is psychopharmacology - the study of how medications affect the mind and thinking processes, we have provided general psychiatric and psychological care to people of all walks of life. For over 30 years our professionals have helped people to overcome personal struggles and to achieve their full potential in life.

We are professionally qualified and experienced in treating the following:

Our treatment modalities include the use of medications as well as psychotherapy, often together, to assure the best outcome for our patients.

We are also experts in treating chemical dependency disorders. We are trained in determining what medications are safe for people in recovery.

Psychopharmacology Services

Our medical specialty is psychopharmacology - the study of how medications affect the mind and thinking processes. Our team has over 30 years of expertise in determining the most appropriate drug treatment from the many available today.

Our patients sometimes make appointments directly, or are referred from non-M.D. psychotherapists who believe that their client may benefit from a medication evaluation. To make an appointment call (619) 795-7434.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

We provide TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) for the treatment of depression that is resistant to medication. We are satisfied as to its effectiveness and safety with our patients that have tried this new treatment option.

TMS therapy is indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder in adult patients who have failed to receive satisfactory improvement from prior antidepressant medication in the current episode. It usually requires 30 treatments that last approximately 19 minutes each. A course of treatment usually lasts about 6 weeks. The clinical studies show approximately a 50% success rate. TMS therapy is only available by prescription. Dr. Hubbard can help decide if TMS therapy is right for you.

Dr. Wycoff, the psychologist in our office, became interested in TMS when her sister, Mary, underwent TMS treatment for lifelong depression that was not helped by antidepressant medication. Mary was in excellent psychotherapy for years which helped her cope through difficult times and stay relatively consistent in her day to day life. But the depression was always there and much of the time Mary found life to be a burden that she dragged herself through. She wanted to find joy in life but she couldn’t, and this made her feel worse about herself. Mary felt she was a burden to her family, and this made her pain worse. Even with antidepressant medication Mary suffered from moderate to major depression. She was experiencing an episode of major depression at the time that she underwent TMS therapy.

Because Dr. Wycoff had known her sister since childhood and witnessed her lifelong struggle with depression, she was encouraged but skeptical when Mary mentioned trying TMS.

Approximately three months after Mary completed her TMS therapy, Dr. Wycoff noticed that for the past few months it had been consistently easier to talk on the phone with her sister and spend time with her. She had always braced herself before a phone chat because Mary’s emotional heaviness made her feel helpless and guilty that she couldn’t help her. Dr. Wycoff had been careful for so long in interacting with Mary that it was an awakening to realize she could relax and actually enjoy her. Mary was consistently lighter, more able to attend to a conversation, more interested in others, and the heaviness that had always been a part of their communication was gone. She noticed a significant difference in Mary's mood, her ability to problem solve, her sense of humor, her less extreme thinking. Mary reports feeling all of these changes and finds she is now able to cope with life's ups and downs. She describes herself as more "even", more interested in life, more content. She finds humor and joy in day to day life.

Dr. Wycoff felt she was finally getting to know Mary without the mask of depression obscuring her true personality. This was the Mary she remembered from childhood—funny, witty, playful, caring, sensitive to others’ feelings, warm. Mary experiences the normal range of emotion that is characteristic of a fully functioning adult. She is not superficially bright or elated. Just normal.

It has now been one year since Mary underwent TMS treatment. We don't know how long the effect will last. At this time, the treatment effect has been studied for one year post treatment. Further studies are expected to analyze the long term effects of TMS.

If you are interested in learning more about TMS and whether it could be helpful to you, please contact our staff and they will schedule an appointment with Dr. Hubbard for an evaluation or Dr. Wycoff to provide a free consult and information session.

Forensic Services

Dr. Hubbard regularly performs expert witness consultations on referral from attorneys or from the courts. Although he is not a forensic psychiatrist by training, his opinion has been frequently sought in both civil and criminal cases.

Qualified as an expert in psychiatry and psychopharmacology in both Federal Court and Superior Court in San Diego, California, Dr. Hubbard has been deposed over 300 times during his career providing trial testimony in well over 100 cases. He has been retained both by defense and plaintiff counsel approximately equally over the past twenty years. In addition to providing expert testimony in medication or drug-related cases, he has frequently been called upon to testify in employment-related cases.

For consultation information concerning an active case, please contact Dr. Hubbard personally at his office to discuss potential conflicts or other case issues.